Just Navel Gazing

Aidan, who I know best as @conjiregverbs on Twitter, tagged me on this fun questionnaire. I was always taught it’s impolite to talk incessantly about yourself, but since she asked, here goes.

1. If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals or are the members of your family?
No actual pets, but we live at the edge of a very small village so we tend to get a lot of “nature” wandering into the house. I’ve come to think of the HUGE spider who lives in the basement as almost a member of the family. We call the basement stairwell the “spider room” in his honor, and we introduce him to all our guests.

2. If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?
I’m going to dream really BIG: I wish that my youngest child would never say three “Mommy” more in a row. “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy.” is just barely tolerable. “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, …” becomes unbearable very quickly where there are no other words in the sentence.

3. What is the one thing most hated by you?
Stupidity. Just THINK people.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
Build the basement spider his own house so he moves out of mine!

5. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?
Time. I’m pretty committed to everything I do, including having moods. I cannot be jollied out of a perfectly good grump.

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
I reject the premise of the question – like the two things are mutually exclusive and you have to pick.

7. What is your bedtime routine?
That one is tough since California’s online world is just getting interesting at France bedtime. I check Email/Twitter/Facebook/Blog one last time. Check door is locked. Brush teeth. Check Email/Twitter/Facebook/Blog one more last time. Look at kids sleeping and think how beautiful a sleeping child is. Turn off lights. Check door is locked again. Check Email/Twitter/Facebook/Blog just one more time. Jump when JM insists that it’s time to shut off the computer and scurry into bed.

8. If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?
My graduate-school-officemate married JM’s-high-school-friend and they introduced us. I was doing tech support for a software product JM was using to write his master’s thesis. He started emailing questions about the product. The questions were a bit obvious. I wasn’t sure if he hitting on me or just a tad dim.

9. If you could watch a creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?
I wouldn’t. Don’t want to ruin the magic.

10. What kinds of books do you read?
I read two kinds of books. The ones I won’t admit to reading, and the ones my book club chooses (hi ladies!) which can best be described as “eclectic”.

11. How would you see yourself in ten years time?
Sitting in the audience proudly watching my daughter collect an international award for her work on global spider/human relations.

13. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space?
No way. It’s complicated to pee in outer space. I don’t need the hassle.

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married, but poor?
With the existing known husband or a theoretical husband?

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Put on my glasses so I can see to do all the other things.

16. If you could change one thing about your spouse/partner what would it be?
He would be punctual… sigh…

17. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?
Yikes. I only named my kids because I had to do it before I left the hospital or face terrible and horrible bureaucracy. I had months to work on those. No way I can come up with a name for myself this fast.

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?
Forgive, sure. Forget – NEVER! What’s the fun of a grudge if you don’t hold onto it for years and years!

19. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?
Cheese.